Don’t you have the SSL Big Six? Because that is some decent analog gear you can track through.
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I love the big six, but it seems very clean and colorless to me (maybe my old crappy mixers had more “color”). But then again I use the SSL native channel strip plugin ITB to get a little color. Reminds me of this old magazine advertisement, tracking clean and adding color with your daw… what have I become? 
:
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I use my SB MK1 in predominantly a two bus role and really in a mastering context. I haven’t used a Fusion in person, but watching tons of reviews and hearing samples of it that’s my overall impression. I hate to keep saying, but as this is all pure opinion, for tracking (keeping with outboard), my priorities would be very flexible overall EQ and compressor first (separate devices), then something like the SB for preamp. That said, I do absolutely nothing with vocals or live instruments (e.g. guitar, piano, etc)… I live 100% in a synth, sampler and drum machine world. On top of that, my own musical skills are next to none… thus, the mastering and engineering. 
I love plugins and aside from a couple of FX, all of my outboard for now is an Analog Heat, the LTL SB and a Tegeler Creme. The SB and Creme are on virtually everything I touch that I work on for clients in varying amounts. I’m chasing that last 3-5% on a mixdown to polish and open it up a bit. Those two boxes excel at that for me.
For everything else, I’m 100% plugins all day long. There’s certainly other outboard gear I’d like to have, but it’d go more into mastering territory and would be a super luxury considering it’s not my full time pursuit.
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You can definitely track with the SB, but it isn’t always ideal because the controls are stereo ganged. So if tracking two separate mono sources, it can sometimes be fussy to get the sound/levels you are looking for right for each channel. The LTL product that is best suited for tracking is the Chroma+, and is about $1000 cheaper than the SB. Two separate channels, and a DI for each channel as well. I’ve used one and it was pretty nice.
Other tracking options would be to get a small 500 series case and try a few different pre’s to see if there is a certain flavor you like. So you could try N or A or other flavored pre’s and see what sounds good to you.
Or, if you already have some analog mix bus/mastering gear you like, you can try tracking through those as well, or track clean first, and then run your tracks through them later and experiment to see what sounds good to you. Maybe try tracking through the fusion, running separate tracks through the transformer and/or drive, sculpt with the eq, or whatever else you have on your chain separately. And this options is free.
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Not sure I ever track two mono sources at once, but that is a good point. The 500 series route was kind of what I was thinking as well. Sounds like I will do some experimenting and might try some 500 series down the road, Thanks @HoldMyBeer !
I feel better now for holding off :-). Now I just hope cirklon doesn’t email me tomorrow.
Me too. My outboard is also similar to yours, but with the oto boum, fusion, creme and some fx. The fusion and creme are always on my mix mus. Anyway, thanks for the replies and opinions, I appreciate it!
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Let us know what find with your experiments, or give us your review if you end up going with the SBmkii now or at some point in the future.
It sounds like you are happy with your mix/master chain as it is. What is on it now besides the Fusion that you mentioned?
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Will do! I have a tegeler crème on the insert of the fusion. Compressor and eq. The combo is great.
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Very cool, I will probably give the Fusion a spin sometime.
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SBMK2 is great. My current 2-bus chain is a Big Six into the LTL, Neve MBP, Goly PG EQ, and Audioscape Buss Compressor. Don’t currently feel that I’m missing out on anything on the 2-bus, but admit I’m experiencing some “grass is greener” vibes for a SSL Bus+, which I’d swap the Audioscape out for in a heartbeat given the chance.
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Ach, my preorder came up too soon and no option to Paypal Credit.
Tempted to add to a card and pay that down, perhaps not the wisest. At least this is a no booze month…
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I didn’t get that memo!
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You, always pushing beers!
Thankfully my Friday tipple- Busty Lush - She’s Passionate is non-alkie and pretty nice.
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That sounds delicious!
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They are doing a pretty good job at cranking them out now, if you get back in the end of the line it will probably only be another few months wait.
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Hrmmmm good/bad news for me, no Paypal accepting but they can work with me on the payment link, with a few things paid down I ought to be able to work this within budget.
Definitely impressed and complimented them on their supply chain / component hoarding 
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Never been gassed for this. Looks good but very content with my outboard.
Although that Overstayer modular channel does float my boat a bit, but not enough given what I already have.
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Yeah, I’ve got the MC and this would certainly compliment, I don’t have much in the way of outboard that the Silver Bullet would be redundant for.
To boot, the DIYRE “character” modules provide achievable possibilities, eventual goals would be the
- Toneloc Level-Loc Compressor Colour
- MN-50 Smash Compressor Colour
- 15IPS Tape Saturation Colour
And from what I see kit vs assembled isn’t a huge difference even if complexity is low (my bench is too backed-up already.)
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I’ve intentionally kept myself from looking at the MK2 unit too much. Literally the only thing that would have me sell my OG unit would be to get an MK2. It looks like a really nice upgrade. I thought the original was basically perfect and then they managed to dream this up. The changes and additions they made are just spot on.
If I got a different compressor like the SSL Bus+ I’d be almost guaranteed to sell my OG plus the Tegeler Creme to fund an MK2. I don’t think I’d miss the EQ on the Creme with the EQ on the MK2.
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Might’ve just pulled the trigger on a mkII 
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Congrats!